Evaporator



J. T. WANN.

EVAPORATOR.

now FILED MAY Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

ATTOP/VL'Y JOHN T. \VANN, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO

ROBERT C. NEWELL AND VIM. C. MUBIDOCH, 31$, BOTH OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALI-FOBNIA.

Patented A r. re, rear.

Application filed May 4, 1920. Serial 110.378,?54.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. WANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and i tate of California,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Evaporators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for drying or evaporating fruits,vegetables and other products and especially to improvements in thestructure shown in my former patent entitled Evaporator issued March 3,191 i, No. 1,089,027.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a drier oflarge capacity especially adapted for handling fruits, vegetables andlike food products, and particularly an evaporator adapted to receivethe drying trays in stacked formation and so arranged that each willreceive a desired volume of dry heated air.

Another object, which forms the special feature of the presentinvention, is the provision of a series of convex deflecting plates orshields which serve several functions first, a shield for protecting thelowermost trays against exposure to excessive heat; second, that ofdirecting and deflecting the air toward the inlet ilues; third, that ofadmitting the required amount of heated air to the lower trays; andfourth, that of bypassing a certain amount of the heated air to the exitFlues, thereby maintaining the discharging moist air in motion orincreasing the low or velocity to insure complete and rapid discharge ofthe same.

Further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction, combinationand arrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully described andclaimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel is a side elevation of the drier partially in section and partlybroken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan section on line 2-2, Fig. 1.

eferring to the drawings in detail, A indicates a housing which in thisinstance is divided into a heating compartment, a drying compartment andan exit compartmerit, said compartments being respectively indicated at2, 3 and at. The lower portion of the housing is in this instanceconstructed of concrete, while the upper portion is constructed of Woodor similar material.

The lower or heating compartment is provided with a suitable type offurnace 5, from which extend tortuous or zig zag heat fines or tubes 6.The function of the tubes is to heat an incoming volume of air admittedthrough inlet passages 7, formed adjacent the floor of the structure.Erected within the drying compartment is a series of vertical racks 8forming substantially a kiln, the racks being adapted to receive andsupport in an inclined position a suitable number of drying traysprovided for the reception of fruit, vegetables or other products.

The housing, referring to Fig. 2 is sufficiently wide to receive two ormore trays on each rack, which may be inserted from either side throughdoors, such as indicated at 9. The tray receiving racks are arranged inpairs as shown in Fig. 1, and they are spaced apart to form a centraldischarge flue 10 which communicates with the upper exitchamber at, andto provide inlet fiues 11 on the exterior sideswhich communicate withthe heating chamber 2.

There are five groups of tray supporting racks shown in the presentinstance, each having a central discharge passage 10 and each havinginlet fines arranged on opposite sides as at 11.

In order to insure a proper flow or distribution of air through andbetween the trays so that all will be subjected to an even temperature,I provide a series of baffle plates 13. These are disposed in the inletflues or passages and extend crosswise of the housing. The plates are ofvarying lengths as shown and deflect the upwardly rising currents ofheated air inwardly between the trays. T 0 further insure properdistribution ofthe air a series of convex defleeting plates orshieldshave been provided. These plates are disposed below each group oftray supporting racks and serve several functions: first that ofshielding the lowermost trays against exposure to excessive heat;secondly that of defiectingthe main. volume of heated air upwardly intothe inlet flues; thirdly, that of admitting a cer tain volume of heatedair to the exit lines; and fourthly that of admitting a small amount ofheated air to the lowermost trays without passing through the inletfines. This is accomplished in the following manner: The plates 1a arelined with a suitable heat insulating material, such as asbestos and thelike, and this, together with the plates 14, is perforated as at 15 topermit a certain amount of heated air to pass directly through theplates in an upward direction through the lowermost trays, and alsoa-small' portion of air to pass upwardly through the exit flues. Theperforations insure a sufficient flow of air through the shields tosupply the lowermost trays, and also a sufficient flow of air throughthe exit lines to insure proper velocity and movement oi? dischargingmoist air and it at the same time serves as a shield which protects thelowermost tra s a ainst excessive heat 7 insures a better draft orcirculation of air.

through the drier as a whole.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that an ideal arrangementhas been provided :l'or deflecting and regulating the flow anddistribution of the heated air and that this air after its work has beenperformed is immediately discharged through the exit tlues 10; thevelocity ofdischarging air being maintained by admission of hot air aspreviously described. No tray is therefore exposed to moisture laden airas the air is not reused, due to the fact that itis permitted to escapeimmediately after its passage over the trays.

Again it will be seen that a substantial structure of large capacity hasbeen pro vided and that the trays may be inserted from either side dueto the doors provided. A large capacity is in this manner obtained whichmay. be readily handled due to the accessibility of the structure.Practically any type oi furnace may be employed as the products ofcombustion are discharged exterior of the drier through the tubes 6 anda staclr 6; Contamination or smoking of the "fruit or product handled isthus prevented and practically any material may in this manner hehandled.

l /bile the tray receiving partitions or racks are here shownasstationary, and certain other features oi? the invention are more orless specifically illustrated, it is obvious that changes may beresorted to by those skillediin the art without departing from thespirit of my invention as indicated by the appended claims.

The air then passes through and be Having thus described my invention,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is.

1. An evaporator comprising a housing, a heating, a drying and an exitchamber -formed therein, a plurality of pairs of interspaced trayreceiving chambers formed in the drying chamber, inlet flues arranged onone side ofeach of said chambers and communicating with the heatingchamber, an exit -flue on the opposite side communicat ing with the exitchamber, and a heat deflecting means positioned below each pair of trayreceiving chambers.

2. An evaporator comprisinga housing, a heating, a drying and an exitchamber formed therein, a plurality of pairs of interspaced trayreceiving chambers formed in the drying chamber, inlet flues arranged onone side of each of said chambers and cornmunicating with the heatingchamber, an exit flue on the opposite side communicating with the exitchamber, and a convex deflecting plate positioned below each pair oftray receiving chambers adapted to direct the main volume of airupwardly into the inlet fines and a portion of the air upwardly betweenthe lowermost trays.

3. In an evaporator of the character described, a drying chamber, aplurality of pairsof tray receiving chambers formed in the dryingchamber, an exit flue centrally disposed between each pair of trayreceiving chambers, inletqfiues arranged on the exterior sides of thetray receiving chambers, and a convex perforated plate disposed beloweach pair of tray receiving chambers adapted to direct a major volume ofheated air upwardly into the inlet fines, and

1 smaller volume upwardly between the lowermost trays and also upwardlythrough the exit passages.

4. In an evaporator of the character described, a drying chamber, aplurality of pairs o'ttray receiving chambers formed in the dryingchamber, an exit flue centrally disposed between each pair o1 trayreceiving chambers, inlet fines arranged on the ex terior sides of thetray receiving chambers, and means positioned below each pair of trayreceivingv chambers adapted to direct a major volume of heated airupwardly through the inlet lines and a comparatively smaller volume ofheated air upwardly through'the lowermost trays, and also upwardlythrough the exit passages.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN T. WANN.

l/Vitnesses:

JOHN H. HERRING, W1 Heater.

